July 4, 2013

I was invited to speak at a rally in Austin against the NSA-FBI-surveillance-industrial complex (state and corporate). I agreed with some reticence, as it was billed as "restoring the US constitution". As I have mentioned before we should fight for collective liberation with or without that paper, but as in all realities that paper provides a small shred of protection in the war by Power against us. So I participated. And as all ‘big tent’ political organizing goes often there is the lowest common denominator of principles and values. Which like all political strategies has its time and place (like the Occupy movements for example) , but it always makes for interesting bedfellows and sometimes humorous collisions of thoughts.    This video illustrates that clearly. As a random ‘free speech’ (read: I’ll do what ever I want) war vet who was part of a constitutionalist militia groups present decries my disregard for that paper in the struggles for liberation. Followed by the Alex Jones drones. I stepped up to the stage knowing full well what my message was and that it wasn’t going to be accepted by this minority of people. Luckily the larger crowd was in agreement, or it could have gone badly. I was able to talk about how marginalized communities (mostly Muslim and people of Middle Eastern descent) are the real targets in this war on us to crowds that are not used to hearing that. It was worth it.